🚨 The Zayne Parekh show has arrived 🚨

[Manhattanboy]

Been a weird October. Seems I have commitments every night the Flames are playing. So haven’t seen much.

All the chatter about Huska and his system wrecking Parekh is rather disconcerting.

Maybe there’s something to this?

Would feel a lot more comfortable if we had more experience behind the bench.

Do we have a dude with a learner’s permit behind the wheel of a Ferrari?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Do we have a dude with a learner’s permit behind the wheel of a Ferrari?

This team ain't no stinkin' Ferrari.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Been a weird October. Seems I have commitments every night the Flames are playing. So haven’t seen much.

All the chatter about Huska and his system wrecking Parekh is rather disconcerting.

Maybe there’s something to this?

Would feel a lot more comfortable if we had more experience behind the bench.

Do we have a dude with a learner’s permit behind the wheel of a Ferrari?

What chatter? A few fans that think Huska is holding up the offensive juggernaut that is the Calgary Flames with is lack of creativity? Parekh is in his first month of his NHL career and they are easing him in slowly. The kid is 19 years old and still needs to learn how to play defense at an NHL level. Throwing kids to the wolves is what we criticized the Oilers for and now Flames fans want to repeat those mistakes? Maybe it's a sign of the times in this era of instant gratification that fans have no patience for bringing along young players but it's crazy to be pointing fingers in October because a 19 year old rookie isn't lighting up the NHL.

[GioforPM]

^ I agree. And it's not like this kid doesn't have a lot to learn. He is not good at quick decision making on his passes yet. He clearly can make a nice pass, but he was just throwing the puck up the boards all night for easy interceptions. He is still learning positioning.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

This team ain't no stinkin' Ferrari.

Parekh is the Ferrari.

[5abi]

I don’t know where any stress is coming from. He plays well and makes moves that no other d is willing to try

[Enoch Root]

'chatter'... the same 5 fans who keep posting the same thing, 20 times a day

[Enoch Root]

I think Parekh looks fine. And I think he looks like he's improving every night. And guess what?! Huska is giving him a little more rope each night, as he gets a little more comfortable.

This is exactly what SHOULD be happening. As EE said, throwing the kids to the wolves is exactly what we laughed at the Oilers for doing, and it is exactly what should NOT be happening.

Everything is moving along nicely, the only problem here is with some fans who don't have the patience for a proper rebuild and preper player development.

[Goriders]

I’m enjoying watching Parekh. I was worried he was going to get destroyed by the bigger NHL forwards. He still makes mistakes in his end but less each game.

You can literally see him improve each game and watch his confidence growing. Hopefully Gridin gets to do the same thing soon. The Flames need a couple of trades to help make room.

[Bingo]

His overall trends are fine and it's only been 9 games.

xGF60 in his game log is ticking up (2.0 to 3.7 by trend line)
xGA60 in his game log is ticking down (2.5 to 1.5 by trend line)

And he's getting a steady 10 minutes of 5 on 5 a night with almost 4 minutes a night in PP time since he's been promoted to PP1

If you look at that how can honestly think this isn't a way to break a teenager into the NHL on the blueline?

[Ba'alzamon]

Parekh:

59.55 CF% (2nd); 56.41 FF% (5th); 55.56 SF% (6th); 57.96 xGF% (6th); 60.95 SCF% (2nd); 54.05 HDCF% (10th).

He's fine. Yeah, he's getting the high ground, but he's hardly struggling.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Parekh is the Ferrari.

Nah, he’s the Alpine CD deck in the 1988 Yugo (i.e. stereo worth more than the car)

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Bingo

His overall trends are fine and it's only been 9 games.

xGF60 in his game log is ticking up (2.0 to 3.7 by trend line)
xGA60 in his game log is ticking down (2.5 to 1.5 by trend line)

And he's getting a steady 10 minutes of 5 on 5 a night with almost 4 minutes a night in PP time since he's been promoted to PP1

If you look at that how can honestly think this isn't a way to break a teenager into the NHL on the blueline?

Mainly my expectations of his offense have been off so far. I thought he’d have 25-30 in him. Could still see an uptick still but he also hasn’t been the defensive tire fire I was expecting

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Maybe it's a sign of the times in this era of instant gratification that fans have no patience for bringing along young players but it's crazy to be pointing fingers in October because a 19 year old rookie isn't lighting up the NHL.

Isn't playing a 19 year old at all in the NHL the opposite of patience already? If anything, it seems like more fans are trying to rush him. Just look at the outrage when he is scratched or not given a lot of ice time.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Isn't playing a 19 year old at all in the NHL the opposite of patience already? If anything, it seems like more fans are trying to rush him. Just look at the outrage when he is scratched or not given a lot of ice time.

I don’t think so if they have determined that he won’t develop what he needs to in the junior leagues.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The lack of defense in his game now is the same thing critics pointed out in pretty much all of his scouting reports in junior. That's why when people say he has nothing left to learn in junior, I disagree. He wasn't the best or at the top of his peers is some aspects of the game at that level. It's not new to him, it carried over from junior.

I do agree that he can learn that in the NHL if he applies himself. Being that he just played his 9th game, the Flames need to consider whether learning that in the NHL in what is likely a lost season, is worth burning a year of his ELC. It's not like if he went back to junior he would forget how to play offensively.

I'm not saying they need to turn a thoroughbred into a workhorse. Being an offensive defenseman is what he is, and that's fine. But if he is ever going to be more than a specialist and wants big minutes at the NHL level, he needs to get better in other areas and learning on the fly at the NHL level isn't the normal path. This is why the whole AHL/CHL agreement is dumb. In a perfect world, he would be able to play in the AHL for a while which is the best league for preparing players for the NHL. A crash course in the NHL doesn't always produce the best results for a lot of prospects.

I am definitely not saying he isn't "turning out" as another post mentioned. He is a special prospect that needs patience and some development in order to progress.

He’s also a student of the game. I read a while ago that he was studying video of how Makar and Quinn Hughes used their sticks when defending.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I don’t think so if they have determined that he won’t develop what he needs to in the junior leagues.

True. I don't think anyone here really knows more than the Flames what is best for him. Their intentions are to make him the best player possible.

It's just a matter of business that teams need to decide before a player plays that 10th game whether or not burning a year is worth it. He's been good enough at times that he looks ready, but he has also looked in over his head at times that I think there are legitimate questions. I also worry about the amount of physical punishment he has been taking.

Based on the practice lines today, it looks like he might be a healthy scratch for the next game, so I do wonder if they are taking a good look at what's best at this point.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Isn't playing a 19 year old at all in the NHL the opposite of patience already?

Not in this situation. Ideally maybe he would be better off playing in the AHL but he can't, and there's not much development to be gained by him playing another year in the OHL.

[CliffFletcher]

The best place for Parekh to develop would have been the NCAA. Better competition than the CHL, playing against grown men, and playing fewer games than the AHL. There’s a reason that’s the route almost all top prospects took this year. Too bad the change in policy came a year too late for Parekh.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I wouldn't be opposed to him playing the WJCs and then going back to juniors for the rest of the year.